Errors / EADDRINUSE

Fix: Port Already in Use

Error: "EADDRINUSE: address already in use :::18789"

What It Means

Port 18789 (the default OpenClaw gateway port) is already being used by another process. Only one program can listen on a port at a time — like having only one chair at a desk.

Common Causes

•OpenClaw gateway is already running
•Previous OpenClaw process didn't shut down properly
•Another application is using port 18789
•Accidentally started multiple OpenClaw instances

Ask Your Agent to Fix This

Copy this prompt and send it to your OpenClaw agent:

Check what's using port 18789. If it's an old OpenClaw process, kill it. Then start a fresh gateway instance and tell me what was using the port.

How to Fix It

1. Check What's Using the Port

# macOS

lsof -i :18789

# Linux

sudo lsof -i :18789

# Windows (PowerShell)

netstat -ano | findstr :18789

2. Stop the Existing Process

# Kill by PID (replace 12345 with the PID)

kill 12345

# Or kill all processes using the port

kill $(lsof -t -i:18789)

# If running as a service (macOS)

launchctl stop openclaw

# If running as a service (Linux)

sudo systemctl stop openclaw

3. Use a Different Port

If you can't stop the other process:

openclaw gateway --port 18790

Or add to your config:

{ "gateway": { "port": 18790 } }

4. Restart the Service

openclaw gateway restart

How to Prevent This

✓Run openclaw gateway start instead of running manually each time
✓Use the daemon/service (installed via openclaw onboard --install-daemon)
✓Check openclaw gateway status before starting

Related Errors

ECONNREFUSED

Gateway not running.

Gateway Connect Failed

Related connection error.

Related Guides

Gateway Restarts & Memory

How restarts work.

Still having trouble?

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